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The United Arab Emirates has announced it is to offer seed grants to support research into new ideas and technologies to support space settlement and habitation. The Space Settlement Challenge - a dedicated seed grant fund to support research projects into human space habitation - was announced on Saturday. It will support projects in three key areas: space settlement, terraforming and space ecology and economics, business models and governance.
Space settlement involves developing plans for locations that could sustainably support at least 100 people, terraforming looks at creating livable, long-term environments while the third category is seeking business plans covering the best use of resources.
The UAE said it will provide a seed grant of up to 2 million UAE dirhams ($544,588) to fund new ideas or business models, regardless of their origins or background. Researchers need either to be PhD students or to already have a PhD (or equivalent qualification). Ideas need to be submitted within the next month.
The Space Settlement Challenge will be run by the new Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Accelerated Research, which is a Dubai Future Foundation initiative.
Dubai Future Foundation’s CEO, Khalfan Belhoul, said the UAE has already set itself the aim of establishing the first city on Mars as part of its 2117 Mars Project.
"Space research is the logical next step in humanity’s search for knowledge and survival, and an advanced means to preserve human cultures, societies and economies. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Settlement Challenge we are launching today is designed to provide support for creative minds, unconventional ideas, innovative designs and research,” Belhoul was quoted as saying in a press statement.
Space will be one of the key themes explored at the World Government Summit, which formally gets underway in Dubai on Sunday (11 February) and includes a session titled 'The Future of Colonizing Space" hosted by renowned American astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson.
Speaking at a ‘Space Settlement Forum’ held on Saturday as part of a series of ‘curtain raiser’ events ahead of the summit, Maryam Al Darmaki, a communications engineer with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, said that the development of essential communications systems, such as Effective Deep Space Networks, were “critical to any successful mission to Mars”, according to a press release publicising the event.
In July last year, the UAE established a space agency and said it plans to be the first Arab nation to send a probe to Mars by 2020. (Read more here).
In December, a plan was announced for an astronauts’ programme, with a view to sending four UAE citizens into space. (Read more here).
Further reading:
(Writing by Michael Fahy; Editing by Shane McGinley)
(michael.fahy@thomsonreuters.com)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Read our full disclaimer policy here.
© ZAWYA 2018
Space settlement involves developing plans for locations that could sustainably support at least 100 people, terraforming looks at creating livable, long-term environments while the third category is seeking business plans covering the best use of resources.
The UAE said it will provide a seed grant of up to 2 million UAE dirhams ($544,588) to fund new ideas or business models, regardless of their origins or background. Researchers need either to be PhD students or to already have a PhD (or equivalent qualification). Ideas need to be submitted within the next month.
The Space Settlement Challenge will be run by the new Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Accelerated Research, which is a Dubai Future Foundation initiative.
Dubai Future Foundation’s CEO, Khalfan Belhoul, said the UAE has already set itself the aim of establishing the first city on Mars as part of its 2117 Mars Project.
"Space research is the logical next step in humanity’s search for knowledge and survival, and an advanced means to preserve human cultures, societies and economies. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Settlement Challenge we are launching today is designed to provide support for creative minds, unconventional ideas, innovative designs and research,” Belhoul was quoted as saying in a press statement.
Space will be one of the key themes explored at the World Government Summit, which formally gets underway in Dubai on Sunday (11 February) and includes a session titled 'The Future of Colonizing Space" hosted by renowned American astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson.
Speaking at a ‘Space Settlement Forum’ held on Saturday as part of a series of ‘curtain raiser’ events ahead of the summit, Maryam Al Darmaki, a communications engineer with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, said that the development of essential communications systems, such as Effective Deep Space Networks, were “critical to any successful mission to Mars”, according to a press release publicising the event.
In July last year, the UAE established a space agency and said it plans to be the first Arab nation to send a probe to Mars by 2020. (Read more here).
In December, a plan was announced for an astronauts’ programme, with a view to sending four UAE citizens into space. (Read more here).
Further reading:
- UAE to build $136mln Mars Scientific City
- 1,000 Emiratis apply to be UAE’s first four astronauts in space
- UAE gets ready for world's first hospital for astronauts Aspiring Emirati astronauts launch model rockets
- UAE to make 2020 a unique year for space sector
(Writing by Michael Fahy; Editing by Shane McGinley)
(michael.fahy@thomsonreuters.com)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Read our full disclaimer policy here.
© ZAWYA 2018
